March 19, 2019

Pages 2543-2548
Whole Number 123

SPARKS FAMILIES LISTED ON THE 1850 CENSUS OF MICHIGAN

In this issue of the Quarterly, we continue our project of publishing the record of persons named Sparks (also Spark and Sparkes) found on the census of the United States that was conducted by the federal government in 1850. Readers are referred to the introduction to the listing of Sparkses of New York in 1850 that appeared in the March 1982 issue of the Quarterly for a more detailed explanation regarding the information contained in the 1850 census.

On the following pages, under each Michigan county in which a Sparks was found to be living, we have noted the township, town, village, district, precinct, etc. where given by the census taker, along with the page number appearing in the volume in which this record is preserved in the National Archives. Also given are the household and family numbers assigned by the census taker; these are sometimes helpful in determining how close two families may have lived to each other. Following the individual's name is his/her age, sex (M or F), state or country of birth, occupation (if any was listed), and value of real estate owned (if any). Race was also recorded in the 1850 census, but since everyone listed on the followpages was white, we have omitted the column from the Michigan census.

It must be kept in mind that these are the records made by a census taker based upon information provided by someone who was at home on the day he called on the family. Accurate information was not always given to the census taker, and he sometimes misunderstood what was told to him. While the genealogist considers census records to be a major source for research, he must recognize that errors exist in these records.

We are able to publish these listings of Sparkses appearing on the 1850 census because a number of indexing projects have been completed in recent years. Paul Sparks, our Association's president, has worked through a professional genealogist named Jack Strickland to glean the Sparks records from these federal records.

Berrien County, Michigan - 1850 Census

Division No. 10.
Page 137. Census taken July 17, 1850.

63-63

Sparklin, John

20

(M)

Birthplace unk.

Carpenter

(living in a boarding house - there is the possibility that this was intended for Sparks)

Page 169. Census taken August 4, 1850.

559-559

Sparks, David

33

(M)

Indiana

Farmer

$460

" Harriet

25

(F)

Virginia

" Catherine

5

(F)

Michigan

" Cornelius

4

(M)

"

" Evaline

1

(F)

"

Page 173. Census taken August 7, 1850.

614-514

Sparks, Cornelius

61

(M)

North Carolina

Farmer

$3000

" Susana

56

(F)

" "

" Wilson

20

(M)

Michigan

" Susana

18

(F)

"

" Cynthia

16

(F)

"

" Spencer

8

(M)

"

" Ira

23

(M)

Indiana

Farmer

$300

615-615

Sparks, Levi

27

(M)

Indiana

Farmer

$1000

" Maria

24

(F)

Virginia

621-621

Sparks, Spencer

34

(M)

Indiana

Farmer

$800

" Sarah

35

(F)

Ohio

" Louisa J.

10

(F)

Michigan

" Susana

8

(F)

"

" John

6

(M)

"

" William O.

4

(M)

"

Page 221. Census taken September 10, 1850.

1379-1379

Sparks, Joseph

26

(M)

South Carolina

Farmer

$800

" Mary

32

(F)

" "

" Liddy M.

9

(F)

Michigan

" Lucy H.

5

(F)

"

" Ira E.

3

(M)

"

Calhoun County, MIchigan - 1850 Census

Town of Marshall
Page 153. Census taken July 31, 1850.

489-489

Sparks, Daniel

47

(M)

New York

Farmer

$1400

" S.

43

(F)

" "

" W.

13

(M)

Ohio

" R.

7

(M)

"

Clinton County, MIchigan - 1850 Census

Dewitt Township.
Page 52. Census taken September 12, 1850.

67-67

Fletcher, Hosea

35

(M)

Massachusetts

Laborer

" Lucy A.

32

(F)

New York

" William O.

7

(M)

Michigan

" Albert W.

6

(M)

"

" George W.

3

(M)

"

Sparks, Francina

25

(F)

New York

Genessee County, MIchigan - 1850 Census

Vienna Township
Page 228. Census taken July 23, 1850.

20-20

Sparks, George

47

(M)

New York

Farmer

$2000

" Adaline

44

(F)

" "

" Henry

25

(M)

" "

" Stiles

22

(M)

" "

" Adeline

7

(F)

Michigan

Richfield Township
Page 318. Census taken September 24, 1850.

570-670

Cooley, Elijah

22

(M)

Massachusetts

Farmer

$600

" John

20

(M)

"

" Martha

16

(F)

Michigan

Sparks, Mary

24

(F)

Massachusetts

" Jennet

3/12

(F)

Michigan

Ingham County, Michigan - 1850 Census

Phelpstown.
Page 86. Census taken September 10, 1850.

218-218

Sparks, Daniel

26

(M)

New York

Farmer

$350

" Sarah

26

(F)

" "

" Elias H.

8

(M)

Michigan

" Mahetable A.

5

(F)

"

" Mary J.

4

(F)

"

" Harvey

1

(M)

"

Ionia County, Michigan - 1850 Census

North Plains
Page 160. Census taken October 18, 1850.

575-575

Spark, Lester W.

39

(M)

New York

Farmer

$600

" Harriet

39

(F)

Vermont

" Newton

14

(M)

New York

" Cyrus

12

(M)

" "

Keen Township
Page 205. Census taken Septembner 12, 1850

636-636

Sparks, Danforth

31

(M)

New York

Farmer

$400

" Lydia

11

(F)

Dist. of Columbia

" Eliza

3

(F)

Michigan

" Abby

1

(F)

"

637-637

Sparks, William

29

(M)

New York

Farmer

$400

" Mary M.

26

(F)

" "

" William N.

3

(M)

Michigan

" Myron E.

1

(M)

"

Butterfield, Isaac

21

(M)

New York

638-638

Sparks, Stephen

69

(M)

Connecticut

Farmer

" Mary

66

(F)

Massachusetts

639-639

Sparks, Stephen, Jr.

37

(M)

New York

Farmer

$600

" Angeline

29

(F)

" "

" James

6

(M)

Michigan

" Alpheus

3

(M)

"

640-640

Hart, Samuel

27

(M)

New York

Laborer

" Evaline

23

(F)

" "

" Almedee

3

(F)

Michigan

Sparks, Sophronia

38

(F)

New York

" Amanda

28

(F)

" "

Jackson County, Michigan - 1850 Census

Columbia Township
Page 419. Census taken September 18, 1950

1536-1536

Sparks, Norman

30

(M)

Massachusetts

Farmer

$1000

" Sarah

20

(F)

New York

Town of Napoleon.
Page 444. Census taken September 13, 1850.

337-337

Sparks, Austin

51

(M)

Connecticut

Farmer

$1000

" Hannah

49

(F)

New York

" Catherine

21

(F)

" "

" Wesley

16

(M)

" "

Cline Jacob C.

86

(M)

" "

338-338

Sparks, Oscar

25

(M)

New York

Farmer

$800

" Harriet

22

(F)

Vermont

" Julia

3

(F)

Michigan

" Catherine

1/12

(F)

"

340-340

Sparks, Marcus

31

(M)

New York

Farmer

" Louisa

23

(F)

Vermont

" Eustatia

5

(F)

Michigan

" Isabell

3

(F)

"

" Adalaide

6/12

(F)

"

Kalamazoo County, Michigan - 1850 Census

Town of Kalamazoo
Page 294. Census taken July 17, 1850, by N. Gibbs.

424-438

Sparks, Benjamin

45

(M)

Massachusetts

$100

" Oscar

5

(M)

Michigan

Village of Oshtemo.
Page 58. Census taken July 31, 1850, by N. Gibbs.

831-845

Sparks, Henry

39

(M)

Connecticut

Farmer

$2500

" Minerva

44

(F)

Massachusetts

" Nathaniel

19

(M)

Connecticut

832-846

Sparks, Asell

36

(M)

Massachusetts

Farmer

$1600

" Sabry

30

(F)

"

" Munson B.

5

(M)

Michigan

" Olive

67

(F)

Connecticut

833-847

Sparks, Kelsey

35

(M)

Massachusetts

Farmer

$500

" Elizabeth

33

(F)

"

" Comfort

10

(F)

New York

" John K.

8

(M)

" "

" Mary J.

2

(F)

Michigan

Livingston County, Michigan - 1850 Census

Howell Township.
Page 696. Census taken July 27, 1850.

341-341

Sparks, Harvey S.

32

(M)

New York

Farmer

$500

" Eliza M.

32

(F)

" "

" Anna S.

7

(F)

" "

Genoa Township.
Page 774. Census taken August 17, 1850.

921-921

Abbey, Jeris

60

(M)

Massachusetts

Farmer

$800

" Cynthia

60

(F)

Vermont

" Sewel

31

(M)

New York

Carpenter

" Amanda

33

(F)

" "

" Malan

7

(M)

" "

" Elizabeth

4

(F)

Michigan

" Jerrold

29

(M)

New York

Lime burner

" Christiana

21

(M)

" "

Spark, Jehial

22

(M)

" "

Laborer

Tricker, E. C.

39

(M)

" "

Blacksmith

Green Township
Page 810. Census taken August 28, 1850.

1166-1166

Sparks, Jas.

36

(M)

Connecticut

Farmer

" Deborah

24

(F)

New York

Clemens, Moses

12

(M)

Michigan

" Lina

48

(F)

New York

" James

14

(M)

Michigan

" Clark

16

(M)

"

Macomb County, Michigan - 1850 Census

Shelby Township.
Page 148. Census taken August 16, 1850.

598-598

Summers, George W.

36

(M)

New York

" Isabell

33

(F)

Michigan

" George E.

12

(M)

"

" Ellen

10

(F)

"

" Lydia

9

(F)

"

" Thomas

5

(M)

"

" Isabell

3

(F)

"

" Frances M.

1

(F)

"

Scudder, Jane

16

(F)

"

Sparks, Mary

17

(F)

"

Lockwood, Chaney

16

(M)

"

Ottowa County, Michigan - 1850 Census

Crockery Township.

351-351

Sparks, Amos

57

(M)

Connecticut

Farmer

$200

" Desire

53

(F)

Vermont

" Orville O.

21

(M)

New York

Laborer

" Melvin P.

17

(M)

" "

" Albertus

11

(M)

" "

Sylvester, Lydia

60

(F)

Massachusetts

St. Clair County, Michigan - 1850 Census

Village of Port Huron.
Page 184. Census taken July 16, 1850, by True P. Tucker.

53-53

Sparks, Amos

25

(M)

Canada

Laborer

" Margaret

28

(F)

"

" Lucretia

5

(F)

"

" Mary Ann

4

(F)

"

" Jemima S.

9/12

(F)

"

McLoud, William

30

(M)

"

Sparks, Reuben

23

(M)

"

St. Joseph County, Michigan - 1850 Census

Florence Township.
Page 315. Census taken September 18, 1850.

858-858

Sparks, Daniel

39

(M)

Massachusetts

Farmer

$700

" Lucretia

38

(F)

New York

" Charles E.

9

(M)

Michigan

Jonson, Mary

16

(F)

"

" Nelson

11

(M)

"

Leake, Emily

15

(F)

New York

Page 4619

Whole Number 173

A HOUSEHOLD MISSED IN THE TRANSCRIPTION OF SPARKSES ON THE 1850 CENSUS OF MICHIGAN

Editor's Note: In the Quarterly of September 1983, Whole No. 123, pp. 2543- 2548, we transcribed the households on the 1850 census of Michigan that were found to include one or more persons named Sparks. No one named Sparks was found in the Branch County, Michigan, 1850 census by the professional researcher who made this record for us. A member of the Association, Jim Frost of Wagoner, Oklahoma, however, has located a Sparks family there. Your editor has transcribed this household from a microfilm of the original 1850 census, as follows:

[Editor's Note: While Samuel Sparks's age appears as 93, we suspect that he was more nearly 73. Samuel, Marinda, and John were shown as unable to read or write. Lucy was shown as having attended school within the previous year.]